Anyone tried Walk Active by Joanna Hall??

[Fatandnearly50]

I have previously posted this in exercise but haven't found anyone that has tried it so am posting to Chat in the hope of a wider audience.

I wondered if anyone has tried the WalkActive programme by Joanna Hall as linked below?

https://walk-active.com/

I have seen ads on Facebook and it looks a decent but can’t find much independent feed back.

I am coming from the point of view of BMI of 43 with knee issues so some exercise limitations but walking is usually ok.

Any feedback would be very welcome, thank you.

Anyone?

Hi, I'm also interested in this after reading a Guardian article on it in the summer. I've just tracked down a copy of the book, as I don't want to pay £££ to go to a workshop. there seems to be a few key movements that you have to master. I'm already stuck on the second one!

posted too soon. I will persevere with it for a bit because I already do a lot of walking, and if I could magically also lose weight/tone up by doing it a bit differently then I'm in! there are some free sessions on YouTube too

It’s walking. You don’t need a programme or special movements. Just go for a walk. Start with 20 mins. When you are doing a mile in that time, start to increase the length of your walks. Walk at least 5 out of 7 days. Sorted.

This. 👍

Ironically what you’ve just given is a training programme.

Have you considered Nordic walking? Helpful for walking with knee issues

The key being I made it up on the spot with no training and I’m not charging for it…

Not read about it then? The whole premise is that people are doing it wrong, or at least not as effectively as they could be doing it.

I don't know if her book specifically has anything of value to add, however just because we can do something it doesn't mean we can do it well, or understand how to improve. Even if we do, we don't necessarily understand the most effective way of doing it. Most of us can run a bit, not everyone is qualified to be a running coach. Most of us can lift a few weights, but not be a fitness expert or personal trainer. Is it really a stretch to think walking is any different?

Yes, @spookehtooth it is a stretch in the context of the OP which is just about becoming more active.
In fact, it’s a stretch anyway. It’s easy to see the technique in weight lifting, plus the way to get bulk v toning. Not so with walking.

i'm a huge fan of the Walk at Home program/online/streamed on a smart tv.
everything from a 15 minute mile, 20 minutes with arm exercises (bank or weights) all the way to 5 mile walks. even a few ab workouts.
they have several free on youtube but much much more for a small annual fee.

Walking, running, weights. They're just movement, you don't strictly need to read anything to do them but 100% you're better off if you do. I have read a bit about what she is on about. Not enough to buy a book, but enough to not be completely dismissive about it, which is why I'm surprised you seem to dismiss it 100% without reading anything at all. If you told someone something, and they dismissed it without reading a word, what would your impression of them be?

I've been a fan of Joanna Hall and her WalkActive programme for ages. It's only really in the last year or so that I have been following her programmes with any consistency and have seen results.

The App has made a big difference for me.

Sure, it's not impossible to walk by myself with no encouragement five days out of every seven day week. However, it's just so easy for other priorities to crowd out the good intentions so that another week goes by without having done anything.

With the app i can have Joanna's encouraging voice in my ear at any time. I do make sure i get up for the live events. The sense of community where we are all walking together each in our own location is simply lovely.

I'd encourage anyone to try the free trial to see how you get on with it. Happy to answer any general questions. The tech team are very responsive, too. Its success spills over into other areas of my life too. If the going gets touch at work i find myself echoing Joanna's expression 'you have so got this'

Genius.

Thank you and particularly @FinallyHere. It’s good to hear from someone who has actually tried it.

A few questions if I can, have you found you now walk quicker? Is your walking style actually any different and are the live events always at about 7.30am and last half an hour?

i have previously tried Nordic walking but to be honest feel a bit of a prat. There are also no groups that near to me. I fancy having some form of structure to improving my walking. I think they do a stroll to stride programme (similar to the couch to 5k but walking)

Thank you! I think I’ll give it a go, I wouldn’t be going to a workshop but would subscribe to the app so the worst case is I lose a months subscription money and then cancel.

There is a distinctive style which is not yet fully bedded in for me, in that I have to think about it rather than it coming in naturally to me. I hadn't noticed my getting faster but friends with whom i walk regularly have commented that I have got faster.

A big bonus for me, who usually needs to have others around to make me actually get out, is how much i enjoy doing the walls on my own with music and/or Joanna in my ear.

There are so many different events available in the app, you would need to look at the calendar just to get your head around it all. I struggled a bit with finding things in the app, there are just so many things.

A friend took me through it to point out some of the bits she really enjoys: that hit me started properly. I'd be happy to pass on the favour, you are welcome to PM me. I use the app don't see PM's do a quick note here to look for a PM would be appreciated.

If the thing was something we’ve all been doing since toddlerhood…I’d probably think they were sensible to be honest.